Why is this called ‘ULTIMATE’? I know that is quite a claim, but this is hands-down the best banana bread recipe I have made, come across and eaten. Over the years I have tried and tested numerous banana breads, each claiming to be the best, so now I am throwing my own into the mix.

The response on Instagram to the recipe has been fan-bana-tastic! I have loved seeing your creations and feedback on the recipe, so I only felt right that this be the first recipe I share on my blog with you.
This recipe started back in the Tuscan Hills near Lucca, where I was charged with making a banana bread for the next morning’s grab-n-go breakfast. I already felt the pressure slightly, as I feared rumbling tummies on the journey back to the UK. To then be told to make it up on the spot, using whatever ingredients were left in the kitchen added to my trepidation. But, throwing caution to the wind, mashing up some overripe caramel-like bananas and adding whatever there was to hand, I embraced the spontaneity. And the results were humbling. Every one raved about the ‘best’ banana bread: moist, banana-like, indulgent-tasting yet healthy. On the flight home, I manically wrote down what I had put into the mix, in hopes of re-creating the bake when I returned. I am happy to say that it worked first time, and even better than the Italian version, in my opinion.

So here it is… simple ingredients, vegan, gluten-free options, easy to change up, loads of optional add-ins to take it from banana to banana-mocha, banana-caramel, banana-nut, banana-peanut butter dreams, banana-choc…. The list is endless.


Ultimate Banana Bread

  • Servings: 1 loaf
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A light and fluffy banana bread that tastes way too good to be healthy.


Ingredients

  • 3 large bananas (the riper the better)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds (ground flaxseed will work, too)
  • 1/3 cup plant-based milk (I like oat or almond)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, or coconut oil (melted)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup, or coconut honey
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 ½ cups spelt flour*
  • Optional: sliced banana for topping, ½ cup walnuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, 1 tsp maca, lucuma

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 160Fan/180*C. line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
  2. Mash the banana well in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add all the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
  3. Leave for 5-10 minutes, then add in the dry ingredients together and mix until fully incorporated.
  4. Add in ½ cup optional extras, if using. The mix will be very thick and seem ‘dry’ but this is perfect.
  5. Pour into loaf tin, smooth over the top. Add sliced banana on top, if using.
  6. Bake for 30-40 mins, ovens vary, until the top is browning nicely and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Keep checking the cake very 5 mins if it’s not done and add some foil to cover if it is getting too dark on top.
  7. Leave to cool on a wire rack. After 10 mints, remove from the tin and peel away the parchment. Allow to cool fully before storing in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It freezes well in slices too.

* I have tried wholemeal flour but found this quite dry. I have heard of good results with buckwheat and plain flour. I have not tried a GF flour blend but let me know if you do.

Let me know if you make it, and remember to tag me and use the hashtag #nourishingamy.

  1. I can confirm this really is the ultimate banana bread 😀 so delicious and satisfying! <3

  2. […] highly recommend slathering this onto my Ultimate Banana Bread, which I have been told tastes like pure […]

  3. […] Nourishing Amy’s Ultimate Banana Bread […]

  4. […] If you need another recipe to show those blackening and squidgy bananas some love, then this one is for you. I can never walk past these lonely fruits, knowing they will probably end up in the bin just breaks my heart. The ripest ones are the sweetest after all and make for the best bakes, like you’ll find with my Ultimate Banana Bread. […]

  5. […] wrong with chocolate treats – I ended up baking a double chocolate banana loaf based on my Ultimate Banana Bread to serve alongside these Raw Ginger and Apricot Crunch […]

  6. […] my family love it, too. It’s so versatile and is such a crowd-pleaser and so I’ve titled it my Ultimate Banana Bread. It is secretly healthy, full of fibre, is refined sugar free, vegan and easily gluten-free, too! […]

  7. […] 5. Ultimate Banana Bread. […]

  8. […] Rather than confusing myself with a completely new way of baking, I decided to stick to what I do best – banana bread. If you haven’t yet made a load, I highly recommend checking out my recipe for the Ultimate Banana Bread. […]

  9. […] of a traditional brownie, this banana bread version is loosely based on my favourite recipe for Banana Bread, my Double Chocolate Banana Bread Brownies and my love for chocolate. Many people may think […]

  10. […] light and airy dough. These Tiramisu Chocolate Chip Donuts are loosely based on my favourite Banana Bread recipe as it works every time and ensures a moist and delicious bake. I’ve swapped out some of […]

  11. […] was the simple inspiration behind this Chocolate and Cherry Banana Cake. I mixed my love for the Ultimate Banana Bread, Dark Chocolate Brownies and the Cherry Almond Bakewell Cake to create something really […]

  12. […] If you are looking for more quick breakfast bakes, how about my Chocolate Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal, 3 Ways with Baked Oats, Pear Ginger and Date Porridge or Ultimate Banana Bread. […]

  13. […] recipe for Biscoff Cookie Banana Bread is similar to my Ultimate Banana Bread and the base is mashed banana, chia seeds, milk, oil, syrup with some flour and raising agent. This […]

  14. I tried this recipe last weekend. It was great! Thank you. I was surprised that it was so moist – as there was no egg in the recipe. I’ll use this recipe again – I want to try adding the nuts and maybe some form of chocolate (any suggestions?).

    Thanks – Suz!

  15. […] I have played around with quite a few fruit-based cakes in the past – typically banana (like my Ultimate Banana Bread and Chocolate and Cherry Banana Cake) or also lemon (Lemon Drizzle Cake, anyone?) and cherries get […]

  16. […] recipe for these muffins is adapted from my Ultimate Banana Bread in terms of ratios and sweetness. It just works every time! Instead of banana, I’ve used pure […]

  17. […] is easy to make and based on my beloved recipe for the Ultimate Banana Bread, which is pretty fail-proof and so simple to make. The wet ingredients go into one bowl, the dry […]

  18. […] you are looking for more banana bread recipes, how about my Ultimate Banana Bread, Biscoff Cookie Banana Bread, Chocolate and Cherry Banana Cake or try another bake like my Spiced […]

  19. […] you are looking for more banana bread recipes, how about my Biscoff Cookie Banana Bread, Ultimate Banana Bread, Chocolate and Cherry Banana Cake or Chocolate Chip Oat Crumble Banana from Nourish Me. Or, if you […]

  20. Chelsea Lea MacColl says:

    I love this recipe, I use whole meal spelt and that works really well. Have made it a dozen times and is always perfect! Thanks Amy x

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